Rate my potential teacher

Pantsman · #1 09-05-2006, 02:00 AM

Well, the time has nearly come for me to start taking some bass lessons!!

These will be my first lessons however i do know a little bit of theory, i can name a few notes on the fretboard, if i take a minute i can name them all. I know a little bit about major chords and such. So what my question is, do you think this guy is any good, will he lead me in the right direction?

Thanks for yer time.

GrooveBass · #2 09-05-2006, 02:09 AM

It would help me out alot if you put a bit about the teacher and his skills. Knowing yours is good too, but knowing his would let an answer present itself alot better.

JacoLesFlea · #3 09-05-2006, 02:09 AM

Who is your teacher JPJ, Wooten, Geddy Lee? If so than yhea I would say he is an excellent teacher. IF it is "Dirty Sanchez" down the street who just picked up a Act One bass at Walmart and learned the bass intro to Smoke on the Water and is tone deaf...then no he is not a good teacher...

Bruce Lindfield · #4 09-05-2006, 03:29 AM

Another very 'apt' username.....

Rids · #5 09-05-2006, 04:22 AM

So either something is missing from that post, or none of us are as perceptive as we should be.

bassicinstinct · #6 09-05-2006, 04:43 AM

Sorry - the old "crystal ball" isn't functioning as it should today.

Joe Nerve · #7 09-05-2006, 04:44 AM

That guy is the best. I know many people who have taken lessons from him, including myself. You can't go wrong. I say go for it!

dlloyd · #8 09-05-2006, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

That guy is the best. I know many people who have taken lessons from him, including myself. You can't go wrong. I say go for it!

I disagree. I took lessons with him, he kept getting dorian mixed up with hypophrygian, he killed my dog and stole my wife. You should avoid him like the plague.

Bruce Lindfield · #9 09-05-2006, 04:59 AM

Well - whoever he is - he certainly gets around - Scotland, US , Australia - he must be "in-demand" !!

Pantsman · #10 09-05-2006, 05:05 AM

Gah, sorry

completely forgot to provide THIS link

http://www.bassthis.com/tutoring.html

Might make things a bit easier.

Edit: His bass lessons are the cheapest I have found, $18 for 30min, next best i have found in town is $24.

Edit Edit: he doesn't actually give very much information about his musical knowledge and what he plans to cover in these lessons, anyone know what the basic questions are that i should ask?

dlloyd · #11 09-05-2006, 05:36 AM

Yep, that makes it easier.

I wouldn't be giving that guy any of my money based on that web page.

Pantsman · #12 09-05-2006, 05:45 AM

I'm not paying him to build me a webpage (granted it sucks), I am paying him to teach me bass. One thing to consider is I live in a town of about 50,000 people max, is a country town as well. There aren't any 'professional' bass teachers, there are professional music teachers, but none specialize in bass. The only bass teachers are part timers who do it in their spare time. Most of the others i know of don't even have a webpage, you just have to know them or know OF them to get lessons(and pay them of course).

spindizzy · #13 09-05-2006, 06:14 AM

After listening to the sound bits on his page I can only encourage you to seek a more seasoned teacher, even if the price is higher. If what you want to learn is hopeless thrashing on kitchen implements and how to develop a fairly good imitation of a dryer with one tennis shoe and a tin can in it...this is your guy. Sorry to be so harsh but I was less than impressed with the very non-musical nature of the pieces he so proudly displays on his site and his preoccupation with but lack of mastery of slap style. I think you could do better than this fellow.

dlloyd · #14 09-05-2006, 06:16 AM

Okay, let me rephrase...

I wouldn't be giving that guy any of my money based on the content of that web page, including the MP3s he's posted.

If I were you, I'd have a look around and have trial lessons with the handfull of teachers you've found. See which ones inspire you most with confidence that they can help you learn. That $18 might end up pretty expensive if he's a useless teacher, which he might well be given the way he has chosen to showcase his skills.

spindizzy · #15 09-05-2006, 06:21 AM

In fact I will up the statement a bit more and suggest that you would be better off investing your hard earned dollars in a library of book and dvd based instructional tools if this fellow is your only option. There is nothing wrong with getting your bass specific information from non-teacher based sources (if you have no other good alternative) and if you need to supliment your musical education seek out a compitent music instructor (you indicated in your post there were more of those) and have them help you with reading, theory and, even if it is learning it on a piano, the melodic side of music. You can translate that knowledge to the bass yourself as it is all the same from a musical perspective.

Tomass · #16 09-05-2006, 06:35 AM

wow lessons ur way are expensive, i mean $18 is the standard rate and anymore would be an absolute rip off. My folks pay about 35-35 for my hour lessons, so the guy must be ok if he charges that amount. Shows hes not in it for the money

vindy500 · #17 09-05-2006, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomass

wow lessons ur way are expensive, i mean $18 is the standard rate and anymore would be an absolute rip off. My folks pay about 35-35 for my hour lessons, so the guy must be ok if he charges that amount. Shows hes not in it for the money

or hes crap and the only way he gets money is by undercutting the better teachers.

werbo1 · #18 09-05-2006, 07:49 AM

I liistened to the samples, and either they were recorded pretty badly or his ton eisn't that great to begin with. I'm assuming all the quadruple adn triple slap was just to put out his technical ability.

I don't have enough material to formulate an opinion, so here's what i say; Try a lesson. Any information he has should help, maybe not techniquewise, but definitely musically wise.

**Pacman** · #19 09-05-2006, 11:14 AM

Do you want to learn music or parlor tricks?

Hawkeye · #20 09-05-2006, 11:31 AM

I think you will be in a much better position to say what kind of teacher you prefer once you have a basis of comparison to work with. You will either enjoy the lessons and learn lots, or you won't. I think you're going to have to try the to see if you click.

I took lessons on and off for a few months with a guy who was extremely knowledgeable but who was a bit too unstructured for me. Unless I led the topics / subjects, we seemed to wander a bit. Next teacher I look for I think I'll want to go through a bit more of a structured program dealing more with composition and a bit more theory.

Now that I have actually taken some lessons, I'm in a much better position to find my next teacher. That being said, I still learned a lot and even if you and this teacher don't "click" together. You will more than likely have learned something by the end of the 1/2 hr.